The Emperor’s head ached a bit.
He couldn’t help but rub his temples.
"Did the Empress Dowager mention why she was looking for me?"
Eunuch Ling hurriedly trotted alongside the Emperor, his face somewhat pale. He was truly reluctant to speak.
The matter concerned the Eldest Princess, and he trembled upon hearing the news Nanny Xiao delivered.
"It... it’s that something has happened to the Eldest Princess."
Eunuch Ling knew he couldn’t just remain silent, but he also dared not reveal everything. If the Emperor became enraged, the consequences for him would be dire...
"Suisui? What’s happened to her?"
Upon hearing that Suisui was in trouble, the Emperor, contrary to his usual demeanor, showed none of the anxiety he had displayed just moments before.
Eunuch Ling was greatly surprised and cautiously said, "It’s about... Qixia Temple..."
"Qixia Temple... I’ve heard that for the past few days, a phoenix makes its home at Qixia Temple every early morning and departs at dawn. Could Suisui have gone to Qixia Temple?"
Eunuch Ling nodded vigorously. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Seeing Eunuch Ling’s agreement, the Emperor smiled and guessed.
"That girl is always thinking about food. If she’s not eating herself, then her precious rabbit is eating.
I remember when the large phoenix first came to the Imperial Palace, she even wanted Xiaobai to eat Phoenix Meat.
You said she ran into trouble at Qixia Temple. Don’t tell me she ate the phoenix that resides there?"
At these words, Eunuch Ling couldn’t help but give a wry smile. His Majesty sure has an imagination, he thought. If the Eldest Princess actually ate the phoenix, well, even though to common folk like us the phoenix is a Divine Bird... If she really set her mind to eating it, forget phoenix meat, she could probably even eat Divine Dragon meat!
"Your Majesty, this servant just heard Nanny Xiao mention that it seems the old baldies at Qixia Temple want to force the Eldest Princess to become a nun!"
"What?"
Fury surged within the Emperor, his face turning icy. "Dare to make Suisui a nun? Have the monks of Qixia Temple gone mad? Don’t they know Suisui is my treasured daughter?"
How could a royal Eldest Princess possibly become a nun?
"Who says they don’t know? This old servant secretly inquired. The Third Mistress of the Ji Family said those old monks discerned that the Eldest Princess possesses great destiny, and they want to snatch this destiny from our Imperial Family!"
"What?"
The young Emperor halted at these words, his eyes glinting coldly as he glared at Eunuch Ling. "You’re saying those old baldies at Qixia Temple know Suisui possesses great destiny?"
Eunuch Ling nodded furiously. Then, something suddenly dawned on him, and his forehead broke out in a sweat. No wonder, he thought. Why else would His Majesty suddenly ennoble a mere infant as a princess—an Eldest Princess, no less—and with the grand titles Chang Rongshun and Shunhe! Such magnificent titles...
"Mother!"
The Emperor strode quickly towards Cining Palace. Prince Yi had already arrived at the Palace and was discussing countermeasures with the Empress Dowager and Zhu Xiuxiu.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Xiuxiu, Prince Yi, and Xie Pan’Er all saluted in unison. The Emperor waved his hand and sat down directly in the chair to the Empress Dowager’s right.
Only then did Zhu Xiuxiu and Prince Yi take their seats, while Xie Pan’Er stood behind the Empress Dowager, doing her utmost to remain inconspicuous.
"Tell me about the situation at Qixia Temple. How did they discover the destiny Suisui carries?"
The Emperor’s gaze fell upon Zhu Xiuxiu.
Zhu Xiuxiu lowered her head, recalled all the events that had occurred, and finally decided to first talk about the matter of the giant tiger.
"Yesterday, we had just arrived at Qixia Temple. We had barely settled in when a Tiger King appeared. Later, Suisui tamed that Tiger King..."
Zhu Xiuxiu recounted everything, adding at the end, "That old baldy Liao Kong explicitly stated that Suisui must not leave Qixia Temple!"
"Such audacity! Those damned old baldies! Are they trying to imprison my treasured daughter?"